DVD Review: METALLICA: THROUGH THE NEVER Rocks Impressive Visuals And Great Extras

Metallica: Through The Never is a 3D concert movie which has a narrative plot component woven through the live action. The concert footage features a greatest hit set from the veteran American rockers, while story element has a nightmarish quality that sits well alongside the music.

Director Nimród Antal (Predators) shot the film in 3D IMAX and it looks impressive, even on the small screen. The gold standard for concert movies is Martin Scorsese’s The Last Waltz, and Antal side-steps any comparisons by adding the narrative aspect to his movie. This is a smart move because the story sequences featuring Dane DeHaan as a roadie tasked with retrieving a mysterious bag for the band features some great visuals. In a way it’s a shame the concert footage interrupts the action because it’s easy to get drawn into DeHaan’s living nightmare.

It would be easy to dismiss the concert footage and focus on the film’s more fictitious aspects, but Metallica put on an impressive stage show. The indoor event features some wonderful props and pyrotechnics which bring life to the band’s performance without overshadowing the music.

Your enjoyment of Through The Never will undoubtedly be affected by your love or tolerance of Metallica’s music. Let’s just say that it’s definitely one for the fans, although there’s enough here for those on the fence too.

Special Features

This two-disc DVD is all you could ever want and more. It features a detailed account of how the film came together, from its origins in Belfast (!) to the completed product. It covers the entire making of the film, including all trials and tribulations as the band and their management struggle to make the concept work.

The set also includes various question and answer settings with the band, along and interviews with the crew and Dane DeHaan. There’s hours of footage on hand here and it’s interesting viewing for dedicated music fans wanting to know how a rock show is put together. You don’t have to be a Metallica fan to enjoy this disc.